Locking means



NETE@ STATES' DANTE A. RAGGIO, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOS.

LOCKING MEANS.

martes.

Application filed January 11, 1919.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, DANTE A. RAGGIO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Locking Means, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to locking means, and more particularly to means for locking the drawers or other parts of desks in closed position.

Among the objects of my invention is to make possible a positive and secure locking means which will eliminate any undesirable abrasion or cutting into the material 0f which the drawer or other part being locked is formed; further to provide a hook stamped out of a single piece of metal and formed with a bearing flange at its free or locking end whereby said end will more freely and readily ride to its looking position over the edge of the desk drawer or part being locked; further to extend said flange to the bottom of the recess forming the holding portion of the hook, whereby to increase the bearing surface, easy operation and effectiveness of the hook; further to provide a hook that can be quickly stamped out in large numbers and capable of being readily assembled inoperative position; further to make possible a more simple, eliicacious and economical device of the class described; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will later more fully appear.

My invention further resides in the comhination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while l have illustrated therein a preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

ln the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the rear portion of a desk drawer with my improved locking means shown in locking engagement therewith in full lines, and in released position in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved hook or latch.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates a desk drawer (usually formed of wood) Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19%2.

Serial No. 270,636.

slidably mounted in the usual guideways 2 and 3, and provided with the vertical rear wall et. lt is, of courses to be understood that my invention is not limited merely to the locking of drawers, but it may be utilized for locking any member or members for which it may be adapted. The drawer here described is for use in desks of the well known type in which when all the drawers but one are pushed shut, they will be locked upon pushing into closed position the said remaining one. Also if all or some of the drawers except said one are open, the pushing in of any or all of the open drawers will cause a hook to rseat itself in locking engagement with the drawer in question and hold the same locked until the said one is opened. Since this type of desk is so well known, it is thought unnecessary to fully illustrate the details of the same in the drawing further than to show one of several possible forms, the one chosen having fixed vertical upright member 5 and a vertically movable upright member 5 (the vertical movement being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l), this member 6 being normally held by a spring or otherwise, in a manner well known in the art) in its upper position and being forced against said spring to its lower position when a certain drawer is moved to closed position.

Fivoted at 7 to the fixed vertical member 5 is my improved hook 8, which also has pivotal connection at 9 with the vertically movable member 6. This hook is provided in its lower edge with recess 10, the metal defining which recess is curved as shown at ll at the rear end of the recess and is substantially vertical. at the forward end of the recess as shown at 12 in Fig. 2. The body of the hook is formed with apertures 13 and 14 to provide for the pivotal mountings7 and 9. At its forward lower edge the hook is formed with a bent over flange 17 forming the widened cam surface l5 extending from the forward edge of the recess to the forward end of the hook, and at its forward upper edge with the curved portion 16. The curved portion 16 may under certain conditions be omitted if desired and the top edge of the hook be straight.

The hook is preferably formed by being stamped from a single piece of metal and during the stamping operation the rectangularly projecting flange 17 is formed to extend llO along the rfull. length of the cam 15 and Vvertically at 18 (as the hook stands in Fig.

2) along the front edge of the recess to the full depth of the recess.

In operation, it will be seen that when a given drawer is closed as described above, and the drawer 1 (which is one of the remaining open drawers) is pushed to closed position, the cam surface 15 with its extend ing lip or flange 17 will engage and ride over the edge `of the drawer and when the drawer reaches closed 4position the recess 10 willsn-ap over said edge.

Opening of thesaidgiven drawer will permit the vertical member 6 to vmove under action of its spring or other actuating means (.not shown'but well understood inthe art), to lmove thehooks clearof the drawers and release fthe fsame. :By providing the rectanygnlarprojecting flange orlip .17, .the hook not only has vat -this portion an extended bearing lportion togivenan easier, smoother and -more steady 4movement over the edge orotherportionof the drawer,but it eliminates any cutting intoor wearing away of the wood at the .engaged l portion of the drawer. lfBy extending this flange or lip to form the verticallip 18 there is provided a widersurface to bear against the drawer to hold it locked which again eliminates cutting or .biting into .the wood and gives amore positive lock, .andat the same time, dueto the wider bearing surface, the hook will more readily slide overthe wood when the hookis-bcingelevated to releasing position. It will be noted that the flange vor lip 17 .is integral withthe flange or lip 18, and this forms one .continuous unbroken surface allalongfthe camsurface and the front edge of the .recess in .the hook, This not only strengthens the locking portion ofthe hook, butitalso `provides .a rounded -shoulder at thefpoint of joining ofthe flanges 17 and 18. Were .the flanges 17 and 18 omitted the hook would ina-short while soabrade or bite into the material of the drawer that .its -operation would become a source o'f-much'annoyance and the hook soon lose its efficiency. By my invention, itis there fore readily .seen that a much more freely acting and positive hook is produced, and which also embodies the further advantageI of being simple and cheap to manufacture due to -their being adapted to be quickly stamped in large quantities from metal by dies whereby all of the hooks will beexact duplicates.`

vWhile I have illustrated and described my hook in connection with a desk havingthe stationary part 5 and the mov-able'part 6, it is:readilyunderstood to thoseskilled in the artthat the operation-of the hook may be effected .in-other manner and the hookmade to engage other parts-of the-drawer than the upperedge. I wi-slrit to be understood, thereforeythat .I contemplatethe -use of my improvedhook in all Lvways for which .it rmay be adapted, and be operatedbysuchrelease means as may be provided.

-Having1now described my invention, I claim .A (desk hook stamped kfrom sheet metal and adapted for use with 'wooden or 'other softmaterial drawers, said hook comprising a strong light-weight body portion Vhaving anotchor recess 'in the `lower edge thereof adapted to engage and lock the drawer, the forward end of said hook being-cam shaped to ride over the edge of the drawer, aportion of the sheet 4metal forming said lhook being bent laterally at substantially right angles .to the body thereofto form an inte gral continuous liange extending along the drawer engaging edge ofthe cam and the forward portion of the notch or recess forming the hook, thereby providing a lightweight Shook having, a continuous wide bearing surface adapted to engage the drawer.

AIn witness whereof, I .hereunto-subscribe my name to this specification 1n vthe presence of two witnesses.

DANTE A. RAGGIG.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK F. MAsoN, Cona SHERMAN. 

